Hi,

I did a search on preload and came up with 3 results, none of which had definitive answers. so:

To preload, I should be twisting the topmost nut until it is flush w the top of the bolt, and then pull the rest of the assembly up flush....

Should turning the nut loose take considerable force? I dont have any problem turning it w my 1/2 inch drive socket, but I just got these and I dont want to damage anything.
Also, as im loosening this top bolt, should I hear a squeaking type sound? Im thinking its probably the spring adjusting...

Furthermore, what effect does preloading the coilovers have later on ride quality? I like the ride stiiiif. In some threads it suggested that more preloading would = tougher ride, less = softer... any truth to this?

Thx.

 

so no one knows anything about this?

 

while preloading the springs, its prob best to do so out of the car. depending on how far down the nut was already put on will determine how hard it is to turn back. it will be a lil tough because the nut is a locking nut. that could also be the squeky sound u are hearing. the nut has a plastic type ring inside it. u will prob have to use either a torx or allen(forget which one it is) to hold the strut while u turn the nut flush with the top of the piston. then bring the top hat 'n' spring all the way up 'n' run the spring perch up to hold it. install in car 'n' after ride height is dialed in, tighten the top nut on the other 2 nuts. with the preload still in tact, it will be nice 'n' stiff, depending which set-up u went with. i hope this answers most of your questions.....

 

yeah sounds like it does. thx for ur help.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by kaptr1d &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Hi,


Furthermore, what effect does preloading the coilovers have later on ride quality? I like the ride stiiiif. In some threads it suggested that more preloading would = tougher ride, less = softer... any truth to this?

Thx.</TD></TR></TABLE>

up

 

i preloaded the first corner. then i took it down to do the next corner.

when the wieght of the car settles, the assembly pushes up, u tighten the nut to put everything back to where u started basically.

there is not point in preloading, at least none that can be seen visually. i didnt preload the other three wheel, and i wouldnt bother if i were u.

 

The topic of preloading has been contorted into something much more complicated than it has to be.
The purpose of preloading is to ensure that the spring remains seated throughout the entire range of motion of the suspension. Meaning that, during droop, there is no up-down play in the spring between the spring perch and the upper mount.
You could theoretically use preload to change the rate of the spring, which you would do by compressing the spring a good deal even before it goes on the car. So, by putting a load on the spring before installation (hence "prelad"), a 7kg spring can be changed to have characteristics more similar to a 8k spring, and so on. This is not recommended though, as you are reducing the overall effective range of your spring. THis is what could potentially lead to shitty ride quality.

 

just wondering.... whats preload? lol

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Noob4life &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
You could theoretically use preload to change the rate of the spring, </TD></TR></TABLE>

absolutely NOT. spring rate never changes by preloading. dont ever say that.

i know what youre trying to say, you can jack the preload up until there is no more sag, or change in shock length from full droop to resting all 4 wheels on the ground. but really, you cant with the traditional coilover setup. a car is too heavy for that, and youd stop way before that would happen. so dont even mention it.

 

kaptr1d, after preloading your first shock, could tell any difference in the droop length of your wheels (from one side to the other) with the car off the ground? I would imagine the preloaded corner would droop less (at the shock) by the distance that you backed off the top nut. If you had a chance to measure, that would be awesome...

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Noob4life &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You could theoretically use preload to change the rate of the spring, which you would do by compressing the spring a good deal even before it goes on the car. So, by putting a load on the spring before installation (hence "prelad"), a 7kg spring can be changed to have characteristics more similar to a 8k spring, and so on. This is not recommended though, as you are reducing the overall effective range of your spring. THis is what could potentially lead to shitty ride quality.</TD></TR></TABLE>

You cannot change the "Rate" of a spring by preloading. The only way to change the spring rate is to cut the existing spring (stiffen the rate), or add a second tender spring (soften the rate).

 

What I was trying to say was that by compressing the spring before it is put on the car, x-amount of force has already been applied to it, so that it would require more force initially to compress further. If it takes 500lbs to compress it 1", then it would take 1000lbs to compress it the next inch and so on. I guess I shouldn't have said "change the spring rate".

 

is there such thing as TOO MUCH preload? what would happen if there was too much?

 

If you had too much pre-load, you wouldn't be able to get the tires off the car because the shocks wouldn't droop enough for the tires to clear the fender. Keep in mind this would reqire an absoloutly rediculous amount of pre-load, and that could only be accomplished with a spring compressor. I'm thinking you would run out of threads on the bottom mount, and not be able to lower the ride height anymore either...

 

why is there work that needs to be done to the op of the omni power coil over? I thought that the lower spinner adjusted the heiht as a movement between shock body and the lower mount. I thought the spinners on the bottom of the spring were for preload?

 

?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by cbmprelude &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">why is there work that needs to be done to the op of the omni power coil over? I thought that the lower spinner adjusted the heiht as a movement between shock body and the lower mount. I thought the spinners on the bottom of the spring were for preload?</TD></TR></TABLE>

You add EXTRA pre-load by backing the top nut off until it's flush with the stem. This allows you to spin the bottom spring perch up even higher. Then when they are installed on the car, and it's lowered to the ground, the spring compresses, and allows you to easily re-tighten the top nut.

 

Preloading is for corner weighting the car. If you have scales to corner weight your car, go for it (there is a process to that) but if you do not intend on corner weighting your car don't worry about it. IT IS NOT NECESSARY.